


Library Help Desk Girl

by ookoos



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:54:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27145532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ookoos/pseuds/ookoos
Summary: Prompt: Korra spends so much time in the library that she ends up befriending the library help desk girl.
Relationships: Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 12
Kudos: 280





	Library Help Desk Girl

**Author's Note:**

> im a sucker for college aus, so if u are too, i hope this does it justice

Korra walked out of her dorm room with half a Clif bar hanging out her mouth and her unzipped backpack haphazardly slung over her shoulder. She was making her way across campus to the library where she planned to spend the rest of the night. 

This semester, Korra had six classes lined up, and so far, that meant no free time. When it came to school, she wasn’t exactly the fastest learner, which was why she needed to spend extra hours studying. 

As Korra reached the outside doors of the library, she shoved her Clif bar wrapper into her hoodie pocket and took the stairs straight to the fourth floor. There were a total of five floors, but over the years, Korra has found the fourth floor to be the most empty, probably because it was just rows and rows of old computers that barely worked. The peace and quiet was worth waiting an extra 10 minutes for the computer to boot up.

She made her way to the computer near the technology help desk just in case her computer randomly broke down, and she needed to call for backup. Without paying any attention to the help desk girl who was sending her a confused look, Korra put in her earbuds and proceeded to study her life away.

Asami was mid bite into her microwave burrito when she noticed the random girl with bright blue eyes take a seat directly across from her at the crappiest computer on the floor. Asami had been working at the help desk for the past year, and the girl’s presence surprised her for two reasons: 1) hardly anybody came to the fourth floor and 2) anybody who comes to the fourth floor knows that _that_ computer is the absolute worst. However, instead of saying anything, Asami decided to let the girl figure it out for herself.

As Asami patiently waited for her to get up and ask for computer-CPR, she took out her notebook and began to study in the meantime. 

Five minutes passed. Asami peaked up to find blue eyes focused on the computer. Ten minutes passed. Those blue eyes were still locked on the screen. Fifteen minutes passed. This time, Asami found blue eyes staring back at her.

Asami quickly shot her gaze back down to her notebook, trying to pretend they didn’t just make eye contact. In her peripheral vision, Asami saw the girl get up and make her way towards her. 

“Excuse me,” Korra said. She was wearing a flowy tank top and blue sweats. Her brown hair was cut short. Meanwhile, Asami wore a red blouse and black pants. Her black hair was left long.

The help desk girl looked up and managed half a smile. “Hi, how can I help you?”

“The computer kinda stopped working. I pulled up a Google Doc and then the whole thing froze.”

“Yeah, that one tends to do that.” Asami shut her notebook and made her way towards the computer as Korra trailed behind. 

“‘That one?’”

Asami bent down to level herself with the screen and clicked the mouse a few times to confirm it most definitely was frozen. “You kinda chose the worst computer on the floor.” 

“Oh wow. Why didn’t you stop me?”

“I didn’t know how to break it to you,” Asami said. She met Korra’s gaze. 

_Wow, her eyes are really blue_ , Asami thought.

“Anyways, I’ll try to get it working again, but in the meantime, you should probably transition to another computer.”

Asami took a seat in front of the malfunctioning computer while Korra moved her stuff over to the very next desktop. She didn’t want to go too far away in case the same thing happened again, but Asami was understandably confused as to why she didn’t choose a further computer. The two girls were now sitting next to each other, not saying a word as Asami clicked away. 

Korra cleared her throat to fill the silence between them. “Thanks for the help by the way.”

“No problem,” Asami smiled, still focused on the computer. “It’s kinda my job.”

As Korra’s new desktop turned on, she turned to the girl next to her and took a second to actually look at her. 

_Wow, her eyes are really green,_ Korra thought.

“This probably won’t be the last time I ask for your help, so I should tell you my name’s Korra.” 

“Nice to meet you, Korra. I’m Asami.” 

  


++++++

  


Their campus library was open 24/7, which meant Korra really had no excuse to leave. It was 2 AM at this point, and her eyes were struggling to stay open. She was working on an essay that was due in a few days. 

Even though nobody in their right minds would do this, Asami solely worked night shifts because that was really the only freetime she had. Double majoring in mechanical engineering and business does things to a person’s life.

At this point, there was an hour left before Asami had to clock out. Normally, she would take a quick nap around 2 AM, but seeing as Korra was still there, she couldn’t let herself doze off with someone there as a witness. 

For the past couple of hours, Asami had been regularly sneaking glances at Korra because the girl basically demanded her attention. 

Around 8 PM, Korra got into the rhythm of her work and began enthusiastically bobbing her head to whatever music she was listening to. If Asami were to take a guess, she’d say it was some sort of pop.

Around 10 PM, Korra moved onto intensely humming what Asami could only assume to be classical music. Normally, Asami would scold any sort of loudness in the library, but she let Korra slide since there was nobody else but them two.

Around midnight, Korra put her earbuds away and didn’t do anything music related. But, she did proceed to crack her fingers every 5 minutes, which almost bothered Asami. Somehow each crack was louder than the last. 

Now, at 2 AM, Asami could tell Korra’s batteries were running low. With each passing moment, Korra’s eyes got smaller and smaller, and her posture drooped lower and lower. Asami just stared at Korra as she began to fall asleep. She analyzed the curves of her face and the way her hair parted. She wondered why she had never seen her on campus before.

Asami probably would have spent the rest of her shift staring at Korra, but then the girl’s drooping head smacked straight into the keyboard in front of her. Korra quickly jolted up in surprise, but her body moved too fast for her to process, causing her to fall out of the chair.

“Oh my god,” Asami said, rushing over to the girl who was absolutely out of it. “Are you okay?”

Korra was on the floor, rubbing her forehead in an attempt to ease the pain. “Oh yeah, I’m fine.”

As Asami helped her up, Korra’s blue eyes met Asami’s green. She noticed how Korra’s cheeks turned a little pink, probably out of embarrassment.

“I think you might want to go home soon and get some real sleep,” Asami said worriedly.

“Yeah, I probably should, huh,” Korra chuckled. “Thanks for your help a _second_ time.” 

Asami shrugged. “Just another part of the job.”

Korra was now back on her feet and fully awake.

Asami started making her way back to her desk. “Let me know if you need help getting down the stairs.” 

###    


### ++++++

  


The next day, Korra came back to the fourth floor around the same time as yesterday. Asami watched the girl come up the stairs with wired earbuds dangling from her ears and bright blue eyes focused on her destination.

“Hey, it’s you,” Asami said.

Korra didn’t respond. She made her way to the same godforsaken computer she used yesterday.

“Hey, it’s you,” Asami repeated but louder this time.

Still no response. 

Instead of trying a third time, Asami just sighed and went back to whatever she was working on. If Korra had responded, she would’ve reminded her to not use that specific computer. 

_Oh well,_ Asami thought.

After setting up her stuff, Korra peered up to see Asami working at the help desk.

“Oh, hey, it’s you!” Korra said with a smile and a wave. “Asami, right?”

Asami looked up, returning Korra’s smile. There was something very wholesome about the way the two grinned at one another. 

“Yup,” she nodded. “Korra, right?”

“I am she. It’s nice to see you again.” 

“Yeah, likewise.”

“I would like to apologize in advance if I end up bothering you over something stupid sometime tonight.” 

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” Asami assured her. She didn’t really have work tasks to do, so helping Korra at least made her shift somewhat interesting

“I promise I’ll try not to make a habit out of smacking my head against the keyboard,” Korra joked.

Asami laughed. “That would be ideal.” 

Korra turned her focus back to the screen in front of her. She was trying to pull up an essay on Google Drive. 

A few minutes passed. _Hmm, this is taking forever_ , Korra thought. Suddenly, she realized why it was taking so long.

“Oh,” Korra said under her breath. It was loud enough for Asami to hear, which caused a knowing smile to follow. 

“Uh, Asami.” 

“Yup?” Asami said, pretending to be focused on her notebook.

“I think I might’ve chosen the bad computer again.”

Asami looked at Korra in amusement. “Yeah, I know.”

“And you didn’t stop me?”

“I was going to, but you didn’t hear me.” 

###    


### ++++++

  


A month had passed since the first day that Korra and Asami met. During that time, they have turned their acquaintance-ship into a friendship. 

With Korra studying every week night on the fourth floor and Asami working every week night on the fourth floor, a friendship between the two of them was inevitable. Plus, the fact that Korra kept trying to use the broken computer everyday for the first week meant Asami was forced to interact with her. But, she didn’t mind. In fact, she started looking forward to it.

In the past month, the two learned all the important things there was to know about each other. 

Korra learned that Asami had a weird obsession with cars. Asami learned that Korra should never be trusted to drive one. Korra learned that Asami absolutely loved microwavable foods. Asami learned that Korra’s guilty pleasure was cup ramen. Korra learned that Asami almost always laughed at her jokes. Asami learned that Korra’s eyes lit up whenever she laughed at her jokes. Needless to say, the two got pretty close, pretty fast. 

It was about 2 AM again, and this time, both girls were struggling to stay awake. Korra had pulled up a chair to Asami’s desk so that Asami could help proofread her essay about Niccolo Machiavelli. It was for a polisci class that she only half paid attention to. 

Korra watched as Asami dragged her red pen across the page. Red circles and red underlines popped up left and right.

“Assuming by how much red is on my paper, I’m guessing it’s not submission ready?”

Asami chuckled. “Well, the content is there, but you just need to remember to capitalize the first word of every sentence and use spell check once in a while.” 

“Hmmm, I suppose that’s what happens when you start writing an essay at 1 AM.” 

After adding a few more red marks across the page, Asami slid the essay back to Korra. 

“I don’t know if this would help, but maybe don’t do that?” Asami looked at her playfully.

Korra smiled at the suggestion, and she flipped through Asami’s edits. 

Asami had been awake since 7 AM yesterday, which meant her consciousness was barely holding on. Lacking the energy to control her vision, she let her eyes wander. However, she failed to realize that was a mistake.

When Korra looked back up, she noticed Asami was staring straight at her crotch. 

“Ummm,” Korra hesitated. “Is there a reason you’re looking at my pants.”

Once the gears in Asami’s brain started working again, she realized where her eyes rested and panicked.

“Oh, uh, I- I didn’t mean to stare there. I, uh, lost train of thought and my eyes just...settled there.” Her cheeks were impossibly red. 

Korra didn’t say anything, still looking at Asami amused.

“I _swear_ I didn’t mean to look there,” Asami insisted.

“Just say you want to get in my pants and go,” Korra joked, trying to lighten the mood. However, she arguably made it a little more awkward because Asami didn’t know how to respond to that.

Noticing the other girl at a loss for words, Korra tried to laugh it off. “It’s okay. I’m kidding.”

Before the subject could be changed, Asami said, “Also, uh, I don’t know if this is the right time to tell you this, but your fly is down.”

Korra’s eyebrows shot up, and her cheeks flushed while she rushed to zip her pants. “Please pretend you didn’t see that.” 

“Nice underwear by the way.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Asami mentally punched herself. 

_Why did I say that_ , she thought.

###    


### ++++++

  


It was midterm season, and for both girls, that meant even less sleep and more stress than usual. However, Korra had reached a point where she would do anything to get her mind off of school. Which was why, instead of finishing her online exam, she worked tirelessly making mini airplanes to throw in Asami’s direction. She was hoping to annoy the other girl, but it looked like Asami was too busy being asleep to respond.

It was 9 PM, and Asami already had her head nestled in the comfort of her arms on the desk. She didn’t have her usual pristine makeup on today, and Korra could tell by the dark circles under her eyes that the lack of sleep was taking a toll on Asami. Normally, it would take a few more hours for her to get like this, which worried Korra. 

Stopping with the mini airplanes, she walked over to Asami’s desk to rest a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Asami?”

“Hm?” Asami managed to say, not bothering to open her eyes.

Korra did the soothing thumb thing to Asami’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Mhm.” Asami’s responses were slow and quiet. 

Korra tucked a loose strand of hair behind her friend’s ear. “Are you sure?”

“Mhm.”

Asami was only wearing a thin shirt, and she sat directly under the air vent, so Korra unzipped her hoodie and draped it around the girl’s shoulders. 

Before returning to her seat, Korra stood there for a second, admiring how peaceful she looked asleep. If Korra didn’t know any better, she would have thought Asami to be some sort of model. That’s how good looking she was.

Her eyes were the most unique shade of green. Her hair was long and shiny in a good way. Her laugh was so genuine that you’d feel bad for not laughing with her. Her voice was always kind and inviting. Anybody would be a fool to not be attracted to Asami.

Before Asami could catch Korra awkwardly staring at her, Korra went back to the computer she was working on and finished the rest of her exam. 

About an hour later, Asami was on the verge of waking up, but the warmth from the jacket over her shoulders and the sweet smell of Korra’s perfume convinced her to fall back asleep. 

###    


### ++++++

  


Midterm season was finally over, which meant both of their schedules weren’t as much of a pain anymore. 

It was midnight, and Korra finished her work early, so she decided to pull up a chair at Asami’s desk to spend the next hour or so there. Some may argue that she should have just gone back to her dorm to catch up on much needed sleep, but Korra would argue that hanging out with Asami is time better spent.

For whatever reason, Korra and Asami were flipping through a marine biology magazine. They didn’t care too much to read the lengthy articles, but they were suckers for the pictures. Well, actually, Korra was a sucker for the pictures. Asami was focused on her homework. 

As soon as Korra reached a page with a picture of a massive blue whale, she stopped in her tracks. Korra nudged the girl next to her. “Asami, look at how blue this whale is.”

Peeking up from her homework, Asami looked at the picture then back at Korra. “Blue?”

Korra paused. “...Yes, blue.”

“That whale is teal.”

“Um, no. It’s definitely blue.”

Asami’s attention was now fully on the whale. “Korra, that’s clearly teal.” 

“Why would a _blue_ _whale_ be teal?”

The help desk girl shrugged. “I don’t know, but you’re color blind.”

“What? No, I’m not.”

“Yeah, you are.”

Korra crossed her arms. “If that whale is teal, then my eyes must be teal then too, right?”

“Obviously, that’s different.”

“Okay, you’ve officially lost it.”

“And, _you’ve_ lost your ability to see color.”

“I can prove I’m not color blind,” Korra said, scooting over to better align her body with Asami’s. “Here, look at me.”

“What-”

Before she could finish, Korra took Asami’s chin and guided her gaze towards her. 

“Eyes wide, please.”

Asami’s eyebrows furrowed. “Well, that’s a little racist.”

“Stop that.”

Korra moved closer to Asami’s face, analytically staring straight into the other girl’s eyes. Asami didn’t really know what was happening, but what she did know was that the two of them were really close now. She could feel Korra’s breath against hers, and for some reason, that made her nervous.

“Yup, your eyes are definitely green,” Korra said as a matter-of-fact. Shortly after, she realized how close their faces were, and her heartbeat sped up. “See, I’m not color blind,” she finished, but her voice was softer than before.

The two friends stayed like that for a while longer with their breaths touching. Asami had never been this near to Korra’s face before. She noticed how soft her eyes were, how warm her scent was, how smooth her skin looked.

At this point, Asami’s cheeks were impossibly pink, which Korra failed to notice. However, she could’ve sworn she saw Asami’s eyes glance at her lips, but she also might’ve imagined that.

Before things could get weird, Korra cleared her throat and slowly gave Asami her personal space back. Asami’s warm scent faded as she pulled away.

“Well, would you look at the time,” Korra said with an awkward enthusiasm. She stood up and started to put her stuff away.

Asami was frozen in place and stared at Korra blankly. Her heartbeat refused to stop ringing in her ears.

“I should probably get going now. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, yeah, for sure,” Asami mumbled. 

“Goodnight, Asami.” 

“Goodnight, Korra.”

###    


### ++++++

  


Korra was sitting in class and failing to take notes on the lecture because she couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday. 

_Was that weird?_ Korra thought. _Why did we suddenly get so quiet? We’re friends._ Just _friends. Friends can be close to other friends’ faces. Right?_

She scratched her head and proceeded to draw scribbles in her notebook. 

_I guess I really didn’t have to be that close to her face to see her eyes._ Korra mentally punched herself. A few minutes later, the professor dismissed the class for the day, so she started packing up.

 _I’m not color blind though. I did prove that at least. Her eyes_ are _green. Her eyes are so green._

Walking outside the classroom building, she made her way to the dorms so that she could get ready for another night in the library. 

_I wonder if it’s going to be weird when I see her later. Is she gonna hate me? I hope she doesn’t hate me._

Back in her room, she emptied the textbooks in her backpack, leaving just a notebook. She grabbed a handful of snacks over the mini fridge and shoved it into her backpack. Lately, she’s been really into protein bars. 

With one last look in the mirror, she was out the door again, heading towards the library. During the stroll, Korra replayed the moment in her head again. 

_Did she look at my lips? No, she couldn’t have. Asami is a friend. Just a friend. Friends don’t look at other friends’ lips._

The more she thought about it, the more the memory of Asami burned into her mind. She remembered the way Asami’s eyes softened and the way she went silent when they were so close. She remembered the way time felt like it stopped and the way Asami’s gaze held her in place for a second too long. 

_I remember she smelled like melon_ , Korra thought. _I wonder if I smell like something to her._

As soon as she reached the top of the stairs to the fourth floor, Korra made eye contact with Asami who instantly smiled and waved. In response, Korra offered half a smile—a white man smile, if you will. 

“Hey Korra.” Asami’s voice was as kind as usual.

“Um, hey,” the brunette said awkwardly. She was playing with a hair tie around her fingers, avoiding eye contact.

Completely ignoring how weird Korra was being, Asami asked, “Could you do me a favor?” 

“Uh, sure, what is it?”

“Could you get me a latte at Coffee Bean before they close for the night?” Asami opened her wallet and took out a credit card, offering it to her friend. “You should get something, too. On me.”

Korra’s eyebrows raised and her hands went up in defense. “Oh no, no, it’s okay. I can pay.”

“No please, I’ll feel bad for making you go up and down the stairs again.”

“It’s no problem, real-”

“Korra, take the card,” Asami cut her off. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Korra took a second to think about it before giving in. “Okay, fine,” she said, grabbing the card from Asami’s hand. Her blue eyes finally met Asami’s green. “Thanks for paying.”

Asami smiled. “Of course, what are friends for?”

Korra felt a pang in her chest. _Right_ , she thought. _Friends._

###    


### ++++++

  


As the days went on, Korra saw less and less of a reason to feel awkward about the moment she had with Asami. Even when Korra thought there was a weird tension between them, Asami completely contradicted that by acting normal. Of course, Korra still wondered about what happened, but she never brought up the memory in conversation because she assumed that if Asami didn’t think much of it, she shouldn’t either.

Today, Korra felt ill. She had a massive headache, her nose wouldn’t stop running and her throat was itchy. So, after classes, she decided to stay in for the night. And yes, she did text Asami.

 **Korra:** just thought i’d let u know that i’m feeling sick today so i won’t be at the library 

**Asami:** aw feel better, i’ll miss u 

Korra smiled at Asami’s message. Putting her phone away, she sat down on her bed and mindlessly stared at the wall.

“Oh wow! Someone’s alive and well,” Bolin said, walking into the room. 

Korra lived in the co-ed dorm, and Bolin was her roommate. They had been best friends since high school, so there was nothing weird about them living together.

“I don’t know about ‘well,’ but I am definitely ‘alive,’” Korra said. Her voice was nasally, and her nose threatened to drip with mucus. Korra quickly wiped the watery boogers before it could fall onto her blanket.

“Okay, gross. Do you need me to get you tissues?” 

Korra shook her head and raised the box of Kleenex next to her to show him.

“Well, if you need anything else, just ask okay? I don’t need you to get me sick, too.”

Korra fell back into the pillow behind her. “Thanks, Bolin. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” Bolin took out his laptop and started working on homework at his desk. 

Not wanting to bother him, Korra popped in her earbuds and started playing music. She hit shuffle on her playlist, and in case you were wondering, it’s just a playlist of different Adele songs. Needless to say, Korra was feeling moody. 

Without much of a warning, Asami randomly appeared in her thoughts. That had been happening a lot recently. Out of nowhere, she would just start thinking about Asami’s laugh or Asami’s voice or Asami’s smile. Korra didn’t know if it was because she was glad to have her as a friend or if she actually _liked her_ liked her. 

Just kidding, she knew. Korra _liked her_ liked her.

A couple of Adele songs later, she took out an earbud and lifted her head up a little to look at Bolin.

“Bo?”

“Yes, Ko?” he responded immediately. 

“I have to tell you something.”

Bolin let out a long sigh and turned around. “You ate my honey chips again?”

“No- Well, yes, but that’s not what I wanted to tell you.”

“Um, okay.”

“I think…” Korra hesitated.

“Mhm.”

“I think I…”

“You think you…”

“I think I like someone,” she said, scratching her head nervously.

Bolin’s eyes widened. “What?! Who is it? When did this start? Tell me, tell me.”

Suddenly feeling shy, Korra buried her face in her pillow, which muffled her words. “It’s this girl who works at the library.”

“What was that?”

“It’s a girl who works at the library,” Korra said a little louder but her voice still muffled.

“Sorry, Korra I really can’t hear you.”

The brunette lifted her head again and yelled, “SHE WORKS AT THE LIBRARY.”

He gasped. “No wonder you spend so much time there!”  


“What? No, I actually study,” Korra said in defense.

“Mhm, sure,” Bolin said sarcastically. Then, he started smiling in a very giddy sort of way. “Anyways, what’s her name? What does she look like? Is she cool? I bet she has long hair. You like girls with long hair. Am I right-” 

“Her name’s Asami,” Korra said, cutting him off. “She’s really smart. And pretty. And, yes, she has long black hair and bright green eyes and-”

“And she wears a lot of red?” Bolin interrupted.

“Oh yeah, I guess she does.”

“And she’s double majoring in engineering and business?”

Korra’s eyebrows furrowed in confusionn. “Well, it’s mechanical engineering, but how did you know that?” 

“I think Mako briefly dated her.”

“What?”

“I mean, if he could land a date with her, you definitely have a chance, too,” Bolin said with a grin.

###    


### ++++++

  


Korra was feeling a lot better than yesterday. No more runny nose, no more sore throat, no more headache. Downing Nyquil does wonders to a person’s immune system. 

Korra was on her way to the library with a hot pocket in her mouth when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. 

**Asami:** pls tell me ur coming today

 **Korra:** lucky for u, i have a project that desperately needs working on

After hitting send, she jogged up the library stairs. It didn’t take long before Korra was in her usual spot across from Asami. And, since Asami didn’t have much to do today, she decided to help Korra out with her project. She did some of the research while Korra put it all together on a PowerPoint. 

Asami liked being around Korra. Before the two met, she was considering quitting to allow herself more of a social life, but if Korra kept coming to the library, then Asami would keep working at the library.

It took all night but the two finally finished Korra’s project. At this point, it was 3 AM, and Asami was about to clock out, so Korra decided to walk her back home. Conveniently, they learned that Asami’s dorm was in the same building as Korra’s. 

It was early November, so the night air was quite chilly. Korra wore a blue oversized hoodie and black pants while Asami wore a red knitted sweater and jeans. 

With her hands tucked in her pockets, Korra walked outside the library doors with Asami next to her. Since they were always sitting down around one another, Korra just now noticed that Asami was a bit taller than she was. 

As they walked, Korra took a moment to look at her friend. Asami under the moonlight was an amazing thing. Her hair glistened and her eyes sparkled. Korra couldn’t believe she was real. 

Apparently, Korra was staring at Asami a tad too long because the latter called her out on it. 

“Is there a reason you’re looking at me like that?” 

Korra raised her eyebrows, clearly caught off guard. “Oh, I just realized you’re a little taller than me. That’s all.”

“Do I seem like I’d be shorter?”

“Umm, no- Well, I don’t know. I guess, I just assumed I’d be taller.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Asami joked.

“Not at all,” Korra chuckled. “It suits you, actually—you being taller. So, I like it.”

Asami blushed, but it was too dark for Korra to notice. “Why thank you.”

The shorter girl cleared her throat. “So, my roommate told me something interesting about you last night.”

“Oh? That doesn’t sound good,” Asami said, a little worried.

“It’s nothing serious,” Korra assured her. “I was just wondering about it.”

“And, what is it that you wonder?”

“He told me you briefly dated his brother, Mako?”

“Ohh,” Asami said with slight hesitation in her voice.

Korra quickly picked up on this and added, “You don’t have to tell me about it if you don’t want to-”

“No, no, I’m not upset or anything,” Asami interrupted. “I just feel kinda bad since it didn’t last long because of me.” 

Korra was surprised. “Oh, what happened?”

“He was a nice guy, don’t get me wrong. But, I just, I couldn’t get myself to feel the same way,” Asami said, feeling guilty. “I broke it off after a week.”

“At least you got out of it sooner than later.”

Asami’s head was down. “Yeah.”

“Have you dated any other guys since then?”

“Nope. No guys. Have you dated anyone recently?”

“Nope. Same, no guys.”

A few moments passed before either girl said anything. In the near distance, they could see the lights from their dorm building.

“Sooo,” Asami said with a smile. “You talk to your roommate about me?” 

“Huh?” Korra gave Asami a confused look.

The taller girl chuckled. “You said your roommate told you I dated Mako.”

“Oh, right,” Korra said hesitantly. “I did say that.”

“What did you tell him?” Asami looked at Korra who was too busy staring at the floor. 

“Umm,” Korra choked. “Just that you’re really cool, and I really like being around you.”

Noticing how awkward she was getting, Asami nudged Korra. “Don’t be weird. It’s okay to gush about me.”

Korra rolled her eyes. “Ha ha very funny.”

“But, I also think you’re really cool, and I really like being around you,” the taller girl said in a soft voice.

When Korra looked up at Asami, she found emerald eyes already waiting for her. Korra has already said this, but she thought Asami was so pretty. Like _super_ pretty. The type of pretty that could bring world peace. The type of pretty that is once in a lifetime. The type of pretty that could kill her, and she wouldn’t even be mad. In that moment, Korra swore she would do anything for those green eyes. 

The playful expression that once covered Asami’s face had now faded. Something about the way Korra’s blue eyes dilated and the way she stared at her so intently made Asami nervous. For a split second, she thought she saw Korra’s gaze flicker towards her lips, which didn’t help calm her down.

Before anything else could be said, the two were quickly distracted by the entrance to their dorm building. The two made their way inside towards the elevators. 

“What floor are you on?” Korra asked.

“Ironically, the fourth.”

The brunette laughed a little. “Funny how that worked out.” 

Korra pressed the buttons with the number 3 and 4. “I’m on the third. Who’s your roommate?”

“Umm, just some girl,” Asami responded. “She doesn’t really live with me, though. She lives off campus with extended family I think?”

“Oh, lucky you.”

“You’d think so, right? But, it gets pretty lonely.”

“Well, now that I know where you live, I guess we’ll just have to do something about that.” 

The elevator bell dinged, indicating it was Korra’s time to get off.

“Looks like this is me. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Asami nodded, “I hope so.”

“Goodnight, Asami,” Korra said. She gave her friend a smile before walking out the elevator. 

“Goodnight, Korra.” Asami’s voice was quiet, but just loud enough for the other girl to hear. 

###    


### ++++++

  


It was Saturday now, and Korra didn’t really have any plans other than to lay in bed. Normally, this would be when Bolin and Korra get in their quality bro time, but Bolin said he had other errands he had to do today. 

Korra was fully prepared to stare at the ceiling for the next hour until she heard her phone vibrate on the nightstand next to her. Picking it up, she was pleasantly surprised to see it was a text from Asami.

 **Asami:** good morning i think i just saw bolin pass me in the lobby

 **Asami:** his girlfriend is pretty

 **Korra:** girlfriend? he doesnt have a girlfriend

 **Asami:** well...they were holding hands

 **Korra:** what?? where did they go??

 **Asami:** i think towards the student union

 **Korra:** wanna follow them w me?

 **Asami:** i was hoping youd ask

 **Korra:** i’ll meet u downstairs in 5 min

Quickly, Korra slipped on some pants and put on a jean jacket over her white pajama shirt. In just a few moments, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, cleaned up her messy hair and raced out the door. 

Upon walking out the elevator, she saw Asami sitting down on the couch, scrolling through her phone. The other girl was wearing a fancy grey coat with a white blouse and black jeans. It was way more sophisticated than you’d expect from a college student on a Saturday.

“You look like you’re ready for a business meeting,” Korra teased, now standing in front of her friend.

Looking up, Asami smiled at the sight of her. “I had to get breakfast with my dad,” she said. “He’s a very...particular man.” 

“Sounds like you had fun.”

“A blast, truly.”

The two had never really hung out outside their regular nights in the library, so seeing each other this morning felt kinda weird for both of them. But weird in a good way. Like they should do this more.

“Thanks for coming with me to spy on Bolin and the mystery girl.”

“Of course. I feel like this is a fitting way to meet Mako’s brother.”

“You said they went to the student union?”

“I think so.”

“Okay, let’s hurry before we lose them.”

The girls quickly walked to the student union, which was practically empty on the weekends. Most students either stayed in their dorms or went to work, so the building didn’t have much traffic. 

When they walked inside, they hid behind a wall of vending machines and searched for Bolin. 

“Over there,” Korra told Asami, subtly pointing towards a table in front of the Starbucks. 

From where they were standing, they could only see the back of Bolin’s head, but it was very obviously him. Sitting across from him, there was a girl with shoulder length brown hair and kind green eyes. She was laughing at something he said.

“Let’s sit at the table behind that pillar, so they can’t see us,” Korra suggested. 

“Good idea.”

The two girls now sat a good distance away from Bolin. If they both leaned back in their chairs, they could see past the pillar and catch a side view of Bolin and the girl. The chances of Bolin seeing them were slim, so they proceeded to stare at the couple.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Asami questioned. 

“I’m not sure, but Bolin’s really into movies. I’d imagine he’d talk about that on a date.”

Asami noticed how much the mystery girl kept smiling. “She looks like she’s enjoying herself, and not even in a forced kind of way.”

“Yeah, Bolin is very good with the ladies.”

Asami’s thoughts wandered. “Have you two ever dated?”

Korra turned to look at her, not expecting that question. “Me and Bolin?”

“No, you and the mystery girl,” Asami said sarcastically. “Of course, you and Bolin.”

“Oh, ew. No, never. We’ve been friends since high school, and I thought he was gay for the longest time, so I immediately deemed him like a brother in my head. Ironically, he thought I was gay, too,” Korra laughed.

Asami went silent for a second. “Are you?” she finally asked.

Korra lifted an eyebrow. “Am I gay?” she said, looking for clarification.

Asami nodded.

“Oh, um, I’m bi, so...yes.”

There was another silent pause. Korra felt her cheeks slightly warming. “Wha- What about you?” she stammered. 

“I’m also bi,” Asami said without any hesitation.

Korra nodded awkwardly. “Cool.”

Neither of them knew what to say after that, so they both just continued staring at Bolin and his date. 

Korra couldn’t make out what the couple was talking about, but they seemed happy. They played with each other’s hands from across the table, which Korra would normally be disgusted by, but she had never seen this side of her best friend before.

Then, out of nowhere, Bolin decided to turn his head, and he instantly made eye contact with Korra. Shortly after, he noticed Asami staring at him, too. He had the biggest look of surprise on his face. 

Korra and Asami immediately tried to hide, but unfortunately, it didn’t work. Bolin excused himself from his date and headed towards the two girls.

“Oh God,” Korra muttered. 

“That’s not good,” Asami said.

Korra cleared her throat and fixed her posture. “Okay, act normal,” she told Asami.

It didn’t take long before Bolin stood before them. His arms were crossed as he faced his roommate.

“Oh hey, Bolin. Funny seeing you here,” Korra said, feigning enthusiasm.

“Korra, care to explain?” Bolin said. He turned to the taller girl and smiled. “You must be Asami. It’s so nice to finally meet you! You look stunning by the way.”

“Thank you,” Asami chuckled.

“Nothing to explain, really.” Korra was trying to sound casual. “Just hanging out with Asami.”

“No, I mean, why were you two were staring at me and my...friend.”

“We were just surprised that you were here, too,” Korra lied. “And, you can say ‘girlfriend,’ Bolin.”

He scratched the back of his head hesitantly. “Well, it’s not exactly official.”

Korra punched him in the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me you were talking to someone?”

“Well, why didn’t you tell me you were talking to Asami?” he shot back. 

Bolin totally thought the two girls were on a date like he was, so he just assumed Korra already confessed her feelings. Plus, the two were dressed like it was a date. Could you blame him? 

Immediately, Korra gave him a look that said, _Shut up right now or else I’m going to kill you. I didn’t tell her anything, and I’m going to die if you don’t take it back._

Asami’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “‘Talking to me?’”

Bolin realized his mistake and cleared his throat. “Oh, uh, I mean like this morning. Korra should’ve told me she was busy with you this morning.”

Asami looked at Korra who was smiling uncomfortably. Not willing to pry, she said, “Right.”

“Anyways,” Korra blurted out. “You should probably get back to your not girlfriend.” She pointed to his date who was occupied by her phone. 

“Her name is Opal, in case you were wondering,” Bolin responded. “And yes, I shall do that. Again, it was a pleasure meeting you, Asami.” He grinned at the taller girl and walked away towards the table he was sitting at. 

When Korra turned to look at Asami, she saw her friend already staring at her. 

“What?”

“Nothing,” Asami shook her head.

###    


### ++++++

  


Bolin was busy packing his bags while Korra mindlessly scrolled through Twitter. It was the eve of Thanksgiving break, and Bolin was getting ready to visit family across the country. Unfortunately, Korra didn’t plan on leaving her dorm for Thanksgiving since her family didn’t really believe in celebrating the holiday.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay here by yourself?” Bolin asked. 

“Don’t worry about me, Bo. I’ll have Asami,” she assured him. 

Since Asami’s dad was out on a business trip, she wasn’t planning on leaving campus either. Which was why, the two girls decided to spend Thanksgiving together so as not to be lonely.

“Oh, that’s right,” Bolin remembered. “I think you should make a move soon.”

Korra looked up from her phone. “What?”

“I mean, it’s been like over two months,” he said while folding a shirt.

“No, no, it’s way too early.” 

“Is it though? I told Opal I liked her after the first week.”

Korra shook her head. “That’s different.”

“I don’t think it is.”

“I think it’s fine where we are now,” she said. “We’re friends. Good friends. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“Well, the longer you wait, the scarier it’s gonna get.”

“That only makes me not want to tell her even more.”

“Look, Korra, you’ve never been good at lying. I’m pretty sure she’s picked up on some weird vibes from you anyways.”

She looked offended. “That’s not true.”

“Here, let me go ask Asami,” Bolin said, pulling out his phone.

In response, Korra threw a pillow in his direction. 

###    


### ++++++

  


Korra was outside Asami’s door, holding a liter of Sprite. It was Thanksgiving, and Asami offered to have dinner at her place, which Korra happily obliged to since her room was messy. They planned to eat, watch movies and do practically anything to pass the time. 

Since Korra never really celebrated Thanksgiving before, she tried to look nice like how people do in the movies. She wore plaid slacks with a neat blue sweater that she saved for special occasions. There wasn’t much she could do with her short hair, but she did purposefully tuck the front strands behind her ears for added effect.

It took a few minutes, but Asami finally opened the door. Unlike Korra, she didn’t dress up. Asami had her hair up in a messy bun, and she wore an oversized maroon hoodie with black jeans. Since she wasn’t wearing any shoes, her blue snowman socks were visible. 

“Oh wow,” Asami said, seeing how nice Korra looked. “I am definitely underdressed.”

“No, no, no, it’s my fault,” Korra tried to assure her. “I, um, I wasn’t sure what people wore to these sorts of things, so I just trusted Hallmark movies.”

Asami chuckled, “Well, you look really good.” 

“Uh, thanks,” Korra said, fighting a blush. 

Asami stood there a moment, staring at Korra. She noticed how her blue eyes matched the sweater she wore, how her brown hair perfectly framed her face and how there was a subtle tint of pink on her cheeks.

“Can I come in?” Korra said, interrupting her thoughts.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Yes, you can,” Asami moved out the way and gestured the other girl inside. 

Asami’s dorm was about the same size as Korra’s, except one bed was unoccupied. Instead of sheets, there was food laid out atop the mattress. Next to that, there was an empty desk with a decently sized TV atop of it. The half of the room that Asami did occupy was pretty tidy. The only exception was the mess of papers on her desk. 

The lights were mostly off except for the fairy lights strewn across the walls. It was bright enough for them to see their food, but also dark enough to watch a movie. 

“I don’t really have any chairs, so we’ll have to eat on the floor. I hope that’s okay,” Asami said.

“Oh yeah, for sure. I will eat anywhere,” Korra responded. “Also, where can I put this?” she lifted up the Sprite bottle. 

“The fridge is over there.”

The two proceeded to fix up their own plates of food and got comfortable on the floor. As they ate, they talked about their days, debated whether puns should exist and reminisced over their favorite moments in Costco freezers. Meanwhile, the Great British Baking Show played in the background.

Once they finished eating, they started paying more attention to the TV. Korra was very easily impressed by all the designs the contestant came up with no matter how simple they were. 

Asami regularly glanced at Korra as she watched. There was something about how in awe Korra was that made Asami smile. With every new dessert shown, the brunette gasped in amazement and kept repeating, “That’s so cool.” 

Korra’s personality shined the most when she paid the least attention to the world around her. Her blue eyes lit up so innocently and her voice became so genuine that Asami couldn’t help but give her undivided attention. It’s moments like this that made Asami wish she could just spectate Korra forever.

The episode soon ended, and Korra asked, “Do you think we could watch the next one from your bed?”

“Geez, Korra. Take me out on a date first,” Asami teased, nudging her friend’s shoulder.

“Oh, um- I-”

Asami plopped herself onto her bed and patted the empty space next to her. “C’mon,” she said, not giving Korra a chance to finish her thought. 

They watched the next episode side by side on Asami’s bed. This time it was Korra’s turn to sneak looks at the girl beside her. Asami wasn’t as expressive as Korra, but she did still smile and laugh when something funny happened. 

Asami was the type of person who regularly seemed deep in thought. It was probably because she always looked at things so intently. Whenever Asami gazed her way, it was like she was the only person in the world. Those moments never failed to make her chest feel a weird type of pain. As she mindlessly watched Asami, she studied the girl’s face. 

_Wow, her eyes are really green_ , Korra thought.

Suddenly, she noticed an eyelash on Asami’s cheek. When Korra leaned in to grab it, Asami turned her attention to the girl beside her.

“What are you-”

“You have an eyelash right there,” Korra explained.

Asami remained still as Korra got closer and closer to her face. While the shorter girl struggled to grab the little piece of hair on her cheek, Asami stared at Korra. 

_Wow, her eyes are really blue_ , Asami thought.

The longer Korra lingered, the more Asami started to notice. She picked up on the sweet scent of her perfume and the little freckles dotted across her nose. Have those always been there?

She felt Korra’s warm breath hover against her own, which made her heart pound. Asami let her gaze settle on the other girl’s lips, not having the urge to fight it.

Completely oblivious, Korra eventually picked up the eyelash off Asami’s cheek and smiled. “Got it.”

Once the words left her mouth, Korra finally realized the lack of distance between them. She went to look at Asami’s eyes, but they were already focused on her lips. Any closer and the two would be kissing. The mere thought of it made Korra’s cheeks flush instantly.

“I- I, um,” Korra stuttered. 

Out of principle, Korra started to lean away so as not to ruin their friendship. But, before she could go too far, Asami brought her hand to the side of Korra’s face and gently pulled her closer. 

Before Korra could process what was happening, she felt Asami’s lips brush against her own. Their hot breaths collided as their mouths began to glide against one another. The kiss was soft and gentle. It was everything you could expect from a first kiss with someone you thought was just a friend.

It lasted for a while, but not long enough for either of them to deepen it. When Asami placed a hand on Korra’s chest and pulled away, the two looked at each other, not knowing what to say. 

Not wanting the moment to be awkward, Asami broke the silence, “So, uh-”

“Asami, I really like you,” Korra blurted out.

The taller girl didn’t reply right away, which made Korra start to regret saying anything. But then, Asami smiled.

“I really like you, too.”


End file.
